Another Blind Lady...

[Knothead]

Odd. Must be my time for running into blind people. This one ran into me, while I was standing in line at the bank. The line was unusually long, so she should have been on target, but for that.

I told her that there were six people in front of me, and she said, "Oh, okay". She didn't seem to be very chatty, so I kinda kept myself from asking her questions like "how do you DO it? How can you navigate without sight?" It seemed like it would be very impolite, but OTOH, I don't know why.

Would it be a breach of courtesy, do you think, to start asking a blind person questions about life AS a blind person?

[lost-and-found]

it actually depends on luck and the person you talk to. Some people will be very glad that you are interested in their hardships, but I also know others who hate talking about their inability of sight and will get offended that you noticed that they're "crippled".

[Brainchild]

laf, the only blind person I ever knew was far from crippled

In fact he taught me the basics of how to play guitar

Not at all. You must be natural and treat them normally. Which means asking normal questions. Pretending they are not blind and evading their very real predicament may be construed as phony. Not to dwell on this point with the person but mention it casually and in passing.

Totally ignoring it is as bad as focusing too much attention.

[Knothead]

Well, you couldn't ignore it, as she had the white cane which she was waving just a few inches off the floor.

And yeah, the thing is, I probably would have focused too much attention, as I can think of a LOT of questions...

I think she was blind from birth by the way her eyes wandered randomly as I was talking to her, rather than focus on the source of the voice she was hearing. Woulda liked to ask about that, too.

Maybe I sensed it would be a bit like "opportuning" at someone else's expense, I dunno.

I think you are being overly sensitive. Treat them normal. If you broke your long legs and were on a crutch, wouldn't you expect people to talk with you about how it happened, your experiences.... not too long but in passing.

[lost-and-found]

I'm just talking form my own experience, and no...I'm not saying they blind people are crippled...far from that, I have blind cousins, friends, and even I'm blind in one eye. I just have received bad viebes form people when i started asking questions. I don't blame them, cause I hate when people start asking ME too many questions about my eye.

[Warthog]

You're blind in one eye? Wow. How'd that happen? Learn something new everyday.

[angelcat]

I have to use a wheelchair at work, and I get a lot of questions as to why I am in it. I do not mind the questions, to me it shows an interest about me. My mother has always told me that the only dumb question, is an unasked one.

I remember one evening, a young girl came up to me, gave me a big hug, and said, "I hope you feel better soon!" Kids tend to say what is on their minds, and most are just curious. The reaction of a lot of adults can fit into one of two main categories when dealing with a handicap person. They will do everything they can to avoid that person, or they will go out of thier way to 'help' that person.

I am not saying that all adults are that way, I have met some really nice people that will treat me as a person who just happens to depend on the chair, not a handicap person.

In answer to your question Knothead, just treat them as you would anyother human being.

[Brainchild]

I'm just talking form my own experience, and no...I'm not saying they blind people are crippled...far from that, I have blind cousins, friends, and even I'm blind in one eye. I just have received bad viebes form people when i started asking questions. I don't blame them, cause I hate when people start asking ME too many questions about my eye.

HMM Maybe I said that wrong

I wasn't trying to offend laf, just saying in my experiances.